ALEX CROOK: 2025 Europa League Final Preview

Star Sports football ambassador Alex Crook looks ahead to Wednesday’s Europa League Final between Tottenham and Manchester United, as both bid to save their season in Bilbao….

---

⚪️ TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR V MANCHESTER UNITED 🔴
Wednesday, 8pm

⭐ STARSPORTS.BET MATCH MARKETS ⭐

If ever there was a football match befitting of the phrase ‘do-or-die’, then surely it will take place at San Mames on Wednesday night.

The all-English Europa League final really is Bilbao-or-bust and a chance for both Tottenham and Manchester to save their disastrous seasons.

Even winning their first European trophy in 41 years is unlikely to be enough to keep Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou in a job after overseeing a staggering 21 Premier League defeats this term.

United’s stats are equally grim, having lost 18 league games, and Ruben Amorim has picked up fewer points per game than former Derby boss Paul Jewell, whose team are officially the worst in Premier League history.

Another piece of unwanted history awaits Amorim as United have already lost three times to Spurs this season and have never been beaten by the same team four times in a single campaign.

Like Postecoglou, Europe has been his salvation, with United attempting to become only the fourth side in history to win the competition without losing a single game.

The Portuguese can also join fellow countryman Jose Mourinho and predecessor Erik ten Hag on the elite list of United managers to secure silverware in their first season.

This is United’s third trip to the Basque Country in a matter of weeks after dumping out hosts Athletic Bilbao in the semi-final and Real Sociedad in the round of 16.

There is also an argument to be made that Spurs’ desperation to end their 17-year wait for a trophy could be their undoing.

However, I’d be a lot more confident of a United victory if they were playing a European side rather than an English rival.

Amorim himself has admitted his squad is better suited to the slower tempo of the Europa League and you have to go back to insert month for the last time they beat a Premier League outfit.

Tottenham will be without Lucas Bergvall, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski due to injury, while United have a pretty much full bill of health.

The Red Devils have also proven that even at their lowest ebbs, they have the capability to keep winning trophies and defied the odds by beating Manchester City in last season’s FA Cup final.

Bruno Fernandes was instrumental in that triumph and has been the catalyst for their run to this final.

If Amorim’s men are to come out on top and secure a Champions League place many feel they would not deserve, Fernandes will surely have an integral role to play.

Fernandes is 23/10 with starsports.bet to score at any time and bring up 20 goals for the season.

Fernandes to score also kicks off my build-a-bet. With so much tension around the game, it is not unreasonable to expect a low-scoring and niggly affair with referee Felix Zwayer bound to be kept busy.

Manuel Ugarte is United’s yellow card machine, having picked up four bookings in his last ten outings.

You can back United to win in 90 minutes, Fernandes to score, under 2.5 goals and Ugarte to be shown a card at a combined 27/1 with starsports.bet.

Good luck,

ALEX CROOK

---

RECOMMENDED BETS
BACK Bruno Fernandes to score anytime 1.5 pts at 11/5(⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United build-a-bet: Manchester United to win in 90 minutes, Bruno Fernandes to score, under 2.5 goals, and Manuel Ugarte to be shown a card 1pt at 27/1 with starsports.bet

---

STAR PROMOTIONS